Road test: 2004 Lexus LS 430

Car Review: 2004 Lexus LS 430

It’s been almost 15 years since Toyota introduced the luxury Lexus line to a somewhat skeptical public. But the brand hit the target right away and now finds itself mentioned with the most expensive competitors whenever a luxury car purchase is considered.

The 2004 LS 430 continues what has become a tradition for the big cars from Lexus: an evolutionary, conservative, loaded-to-the-gills rear-drive flagship embodying all this company represents.

Our $93,300 test car was delivered with the Sport Package with Navigation System, one of seven option packages that can be selected for the LS 430. The lavishly equipped car looked unassuming and impressive at the same time.

Let’s start with styling. If imitation is the finest form of flattery, there can be no mistaking Mercedes’s influence on the appearance of this car. From the rear, especially, the form of the three-point star is recognizable in the high fenders, wrap-around taillights and shape of the trunk. But Lexus is hardly the only carmaker using the German lines as an exemplar. When something works, others are quick to develop their own versions.

Although the sides and front of the LS 430 don’t flat-out copy the bigger Mercedes models, there’s an obvious similarity in its confident stance and substantial presence. The LS 430 eschews flashy gee-gaws and gaudy ornament in favour of simple, classical lines. Pull up to the hotel in one of these cars and two doormen will rush to assist you.

Inside, it’s all about leather and wood and rich carpet on one hand, and gadgets on the other. The proliferation of knobs, buttons and switches, coupled with the very functional touch-screen control panel, is in stark contrast to the unadorned exterior. The driver’s manual for the Lexus LS 430 is more than 500 pages long, not including another 160-page document for the navigation system.

The centre-mounted control panel allows you to manage the navigation system, climate controls and audio, although some controls for the climate and sound are duplicated in the centre stack and on the steering wheel. When reversing, the screen doubles as a video monitor so you can see what’s behind you.

You soon find that almost everything in the Lexus LS 430 that can be powered, is. But often it’s not only powered, it’s memory-keyed as well. This includes the tilt/telescope functions of the steering wheel, the side anchors for the seatbelts, the louvers for the dash-mounted air vents that gently pivot from side to side, refreshing you with air, the 14-way powered driver’s seat with three memory settings and the 10-way power passenger seat.

Then there are power mirrors, windows, trunk, automatic door closers, power door locks (with key lockout protection), laser cruise control system, rain-sensing windshield wipers — you get the picture.

Once you are comfortably positioned in the car, the fine tailoring of the cabin becomes more apparent. The leather and wood-rimmed steering wheel, the walnut wood panelling on the fascia and doors, the high-quality fabrics and surfaces, the big, clear instruments all communicate to the driver that this is a premium automotive environment.

You’ve definitely arrived when you drive around in one of these.

The engine in the LS is a 4.3-litre V-8 with “intelligent” variable valve timing, and electronic throttle control. It makes 290 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque and is one of the smoothest-running engines on the market. At idle and when cruising on the highway, it’s silent. Only when accelerating will you detect the delicious sound of a V-8 at work.

And it will accelerate. Despite its heft of 1,814 kilograms, the LS 430 moves from 0-100 km/h in 6.0 seconds, which is remarkable when you consider that only a few years ago a smaller, lighter, V-8 Ford Mustang GT took almost 8.0 seconds for the same task.

Contributing to the LS 430’s smooth and rapid acceleration is the new six-speed automatic transmission whose operation, like the engine’s, is almost imperceptible.

Passengers will appreciate the comfortable seating, long legroom and tall headroom in front and back. Rear seating is notable for the vast amount of space, easily accommodating three adults. I suspect five golfers and most of their gear would fit in this car without problem.

But while the Lexus is spacious, it doesn’t feel big or cumbersome to drive. On the contrary, it’s almost nimble the way this car responds to the accelerator, steering and braking inputs, especially with the sport suspension.

Standard suspension is a double-wishbone type with gas shock absorbers and coil springs on all four wheels. Front and rear stabilizer bars and an anti-vibration subframe contribute to the vehicle’s poise. Anti-dive and anti-squat technology keep it balanced when aggressively starting and stopping.

Quibbles? Only a few.

One has to live with the navigation system, which for the most part is easy to operate (despite the ominous size of its manual), and contains countless points of interest, among them hospitals, police stations, restaurants, gas stations, parks, and their phone numbers. These you can dial through the car’s voice-activated Bluetooth system and your compatible cellphone.

The problem comes with the actual navigation. On a trip to Toronto, my pleasant-sounding female navigation guide had me unnecessarily keep to the slower, collector lanes 30 kilometres from my exit. On another occasion, she would miss intersections completely, sending me into back roads or a complicated roundabout route. Every once in a while she’d announce something like, “the freeway is on the left,” which upon observation was certainly true, but the significance of which was known only to her.

Another quibble has to do with personal taste. I think chrome wheels are tacky on a car like this. The standard 17-inch alloys look more appropriate on an LS 430, in my opinion.

For the long journey or the daily commute, the Lexus LS 430 is an excellent vehicle in which to spend your time.

Although it may not wow you with the latest in dramatic design, like a good suit it will stand the test of time. Resale values for Lexus products continue to be high years after initial purchase, further confirming public and dealer recognition of their high calibre. You can expect that today’s LS 430 will still be around in 2018, just like 15-year-old LS 400s are available now.